Method of deoxidizing and cleaning metals  and alloys



MMA

I B. U. MEMNHMU METHOD OF DEOKIDIZING- AN'D CLEANING METALS AND ALLOYS mm] May 1918 my: W W

Art

aw? Z w r n w W 1i J W M 9 w a LIMA Patented Nov. 4, 1924 UN [TED ST 1' E g Ilii l lllitl ltilllfl 0, 1r:

Ll'lll. til I Elli!" 'tlllt) rtrn lzicationfilcd May 31,

To all whom it may concern:

.liicitlnmwn that l[., Bnnrnn O. Hermann, i

a citizen of the Unitec tdtates, and a resident of Chicago, look County, and State of Illinois, have ii'rvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method oi Deonidizing and (.llcaning ll letals and Alloys, o'lt'which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the metl'iod o'lf deoxidizing and cleaning metals and alloys, and has for its primary object to greatly in'iproveupon known methods for deoiridizing and cleaning metals and alloys, whereby maximum results may be obtained.

The casting oil metals and. alloys has brought out intensified study and application Of various forms and practices with rather imperfect results.

Greater densities, homogeneity, closer grain, uniformity, tenacity, strength and conductivity have been sought, and attempts made to obtain the maximum of each ele-- ment, by itself, or in combination as an alloy.

Oxides, gases and foreign matter in suspension in metal, and incomplete mixing of the molten metal ar conceded as the causes of failure to obtain the maximum results.

Steam, if introduced into molten metal or alloy, causes violent agitation thereof, and serves as channels to carry the suspended matter to the top of: the mass, the of which escape in the atmosphere and unreduced oxides and foreign matter re main floating on top,

One of the objects of this invention to provide a method or process whereby metals and alloys can be purified and chemically mixed in their molten state, and as a consequence, in their solid stat (when treated in accordance with the method or]? forming the subject matter of this application) become dense, homogeneous, uniform, tough, close grained and conductive to a greatly improveddegree, and in a commercial and practical manner.

The invention consists in the hereinafter described method for deoxidizing and cleaning metals and alloys, which is more deli.- nitely defined in the claims.

An apparatus, whereby the method may be performed is illustrated in a drawing accompanying this specification, in which Fig. l is acentral, vertical section through Mild. Eleriell N0. assess.

a melting lrettle and showing in side elevation an apparatus for introducing the dc oxidizing and cleaning elements into molten metal, and llig it is a detail 'iQlljlCZtl section tin-(nigh a plum.) which forms part out they apparatus.

li he method 'li'orii'iing the subject, matter .o'l' this invention, to first dissolve boric acid or any other deoxidizung agcntwhich 1s soluble in water or other liquid) in a liquid, such as water (preferably distilled) either to saturation or a less degree depending upon the metal element or alloy to he treated. li econdly, the temperature ol. this solution is raised to a degree where the boric acid. volatilizes and the water is generated into steam and this result can be obtained by passing the solution through a. steam generator, such for instance as a coil of pipe immersed in the molten metal contained in a melting kettle, pot, ,rucible, smelter or the like. The solution, coming in contact with the heat of the molten metal or alloy, causes the boric acid to volatilize and the water to vaporize, and both being released into the body of the molten metal or alloy, liberates the suspend ed metal oxides and other impurities from the metal or alloys. As the volatilized and vaporized solution rises to the top, it agitates the mass, mines and purifies and drives to the top, the impurities held in suspenmen.

In the apparatus illustrated for carrying on this method, the reference character 5 designates a melting kettle oil ordinary and well known ili'orm, supported on a wall 6. Heat may be supplied from a burner 'l, be-- low the kettle. A. container for the solution is seenv at 9, supported from the wall 6 by a bracket 8. 111 the container 9, is a plunger 14-, which is operated by a stem 18, prefer ably screw threaded and mounted in a support 24;, secured to the container. A screw threaded stem is preferable because it provides a slow movement for the plunger. A tube 11, of very small diameter is connected to the discharge end of the container and leads to the kettle 5 when it terminates in a steam generator or coil 31., inersed in the metal contained in the kettle. In the end of the coil is a discharge aperture.

Elaid tube is practically a capillary tube to permit the flow of a very small body of the solution through it, and the steam generator is provided with a large heat radiating surface to insure the generation (It vapors there-- which is imtill) in, The solution is introduced to the molten metal by turning up the screw threaded stem 18, of the plunger, which forces the solution out into the tube to the steam generator. I do not desire to limit myself to this form of apparatus, because other forms may be used, but it serves for the purpose of illustration.

The exact proportions of the elements employed for carrying on this process are not material, but the solution may be a saturate or only a partial saturate depending on the metal 0 alloy treated. Obviously other deoxidizing agents, which are soluble in Water or other liquids, whereby the solution may be introduced into the molten mass in a volatilized and vaporized condition, may be substituted for boric acid, and I desire therefore, not to limit myself to the use of boric acid, but claim the use in this method of equivalent deoxidizing agents.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The method of deoxidizing and clean ing metals and alloys, which consists in in troducing a mixture of steam and volatilized boric acid into the molten metal or alloy.

2. The method ol? cleaning metals and lilloys, which consists in introducing a mix-- ture of steam and a VOliltlllZtllJlC metal cleaning agent, which is soluble in liquid, into the molten metal or alloy.

3. The method of cleaning metals and alloys, which consists in introducing a mixture of steam. and any soluble metal cleaning agent, into the metal or alloy while in a molten state 4. The method of cleaning metals and alloys which consists in introducing a mixture of steam and a dissolved volatilizable metal cleaning agent, into the molten metal or alloy.

BERTEL- O. HENNING- 

